Mechanical data handling system

The system allows:

• conditioning/filtering of transducers signal
• on-line acquisition of the time domain signal
• on-line standard data reduction for sine sweep and random excitation
• data presentation and reporting
• data organisation and archiving
• data exchange with external systems

The system enables engineers to connect all types of sensors such as piezoelectric sensors, ICP sensors, strain gauges, load cells, and voltage monitoring inputs. It is compatible with the TEDS technology. The configuration of the standard conditioners is done by the acquisition system itself. Four moveable systems able to acquire up to 128 channels each are available. Engineers can use them individually or combine them to record 512 synchronised channels. They can operate them locally or remotely from a master computer station. The local rack containing the conditioning and the digitisation modules are close to the specimen (typically 15 metres) to improve the signal-to-noise ratio. Moveable patch panels are available to connect all sensors and check them while the satellite is still under preparation. These patch panels also allow a quick re-configuration between the different tests.

The standard online data reduction provides:

• sine:
  • frequency spectra with up to five estimators RMS, harmonic, peak, average and total harmonic distortion
  • frequency transfer function relative to a common reference channel
• random:
  • power spectra density
  • frequency transfer functions

Additional software are available to make special off-line processing of time domain responses (transient, sine, random, acoustic…).

As standard, engineers can visualise and analyse data using either LMS test Lab system or DynaWorks. The data can be imported to any system able to read files in UFF58. Easy exchange of data with the windows application EXCEL is supported.

Main performance:

All 512 channels frequency responses are exported in electronic format less than 20 minutes after the end of the test. All 512 channels frequency responses are plotted less than 20 minutes after the end of the test.
The time history of all channels is backed up on AIT tape in less than 10 minutes.

For more information please contact Gaetan Piret, ESTEC Test Centre Manager.

Gaetan.Piret @ esa.int